The 18 climbs of the Tour of Flanders

1978 – 1986 In the years immediately following its introduction to the race route (and before it was banned for a number of years because of its dangers), the Koppenberg acts as a link to an earlier, more heroic era. For an instant—too long for the riders, too brief for the spectators—the peloton chokes, moans, slips, bruises itself, and takes off again, limping. Illusions are shattered, and opportunities taken.

NAME OF CLIMB

DISTANCE FROM START

DISTANCE TO FINISH

AVERAGE GRADIENT

MAXIMUM GRADIENT

LENGTH OF CLIMB

SURFACE

1. Tiegemberg

70km

187km

5%

9%

750m

Asphalt

2. Nokereberg

80km

177km

5%

7%

350m

Cobblestones

3. Rekelberg

127km

130km

5%

10%

580m

Asphalt

4. Kaperij

139km

118km

5%

9%

1000m

Asphalt

5. Oude Kruisberg

154km

103km

4%

9%

1850m

Asphalt/Cobblestones

6. Knokteberg

164km

93km

7%

13%

1260m

Asphalt

7. Oude Kwaremont

171km

86km

3%

11%

2500m

Cobblestones

8. Paterberg

174km

83km

12%

20%

361m

Cobblestones

9. Koppenberg

181km

76km

9%

19%

682m

Cobblestones

10. Steenbeekdries

187km

71km

5%

6%

700m

Cobblestones

11. Taaienberg

190km

67km

6%

15%

530m

Cobblestones

12. Eikenberg

194km

63km

5%

9%

1252m

Cobblestones

13. Molenberg

209km

48km

7%

14%

462m

Cobblestones

14. Leberg

216km

41km

3%

13%

1130m

Asphalt

15. Valkenberg

225km

32km

8%

12%

537m

Asphalt

16. Tenbosse

232km

25km

6%

8%

453m

Asphalt

17. Muur-Kapelmuur

242km

15km

9%

19%

1075m

Cobblestones

18. Bosberg

246km

11km

5%

10%

986m

Cobblestones

1967 On the “old” Mur de Grammont, a young Eddy Merckx (right) is still learning the ropes, alongside another local prodigy, Willy Planckaert (left). Merckx crashed in his debut Ronde the previous year, but this time he stays upright and takes 3rd place behind fast Italian Dino Zandegu and fellow Belgian Noël Foré.